Machine for upsetting edges of metal plates.



No. 670,498. Patented Mar. 26, 19m.

7 16.41. HOSKINS. MACHINE FOR UPSETTING EDGES 0F METAL PLATES.

- (Applicationflled Oct 11, 1906.) (No Model.) 2 Shuts-Sheet 2.

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U ITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

GEORGE JOIIN HOSKINS, OF SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, ASSIGNOR TO G. &; C. HOSKINS, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR UP SETTING EDGES OF METAL PLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 670,498, dated March 26, 1901. I Application filed October 11, 1900. Serial No, 32,803. "(No model.)

' To allwltom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, GEORGE JOHN Hosxms, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Sydney, in the county of Cumberland and Colony of New South Wales, haveinvented a certain new and useful Machine for Upsetting the Edges of Metal Plates to be Used in the Construction of a Certain Class of Rivetless Metal Pipes, of which the following is a specification.

This machine has been specially designed for the purpose of heading or upsetting the edges of metal plates that are used in the construction of that class of metal pipes in which a locking-bar is used to make thejoint. Such pipes are usuallyvmade in two semicircular halves, the edges of the plates being headed up or upset, so as to form a kind of longitudinal bulb. These bulbed edges are then inserted into a locking-bar of E-section, similar to that patented by E. Quadling in Great Britain, No. 2,157, and dated April 28, 1883, to which great pressure is applied, and thus ajointis formed very much like a calked seam.

The invention comprises four or more or less sets of rollers placed in pairs one above the other, two in each series being on the same axis, with a divisional space between them. The total horizontal length of each upper pair and each lower pair (including the divisional space) must be a little less that the width of the plate that is to be headed. It is preferable that the rollers should be loose on their spindles or axial shaftsr These rollers are combined antifriction and pressure rollers. The plate is inserted between the upper'and lower series of rollers and is drawn through them by means of a chain or cable, which is connected with any suitable hauling-engine. The chain has a hooker other approved appliance at its end, whereby the plate may be drawn through and not fed through the machine by the rotation of the rollers. The (livisional space between the rollers on the same axis is to allow of the passage of the chain or other hauler.

The heading operation is effected by a double series of small rollers on vertical axes, one series on each side of the machine, such small rollers being placed exactly opposite to the edge of the plate to be headed and in the same vertical plane with the axes of the upper and lower sets of pressure rollers. Each pair of heading-rollers (one on each side of the machine) has a slightly-smaller hori* zontal distance between them than the pair next in advance of them. Thus the axes of these heading-rollers will bepoints'in diagonal lines which tend to converge in the (lirection of the exit of the plates from the machine.

It has been found that a perfect semicircle cannot be formed (by bending-rollers) from plates which have been headed owing to the fact that the headed edges cannot be drawn through such rollers. To this end two special pairs of rollers on oblique axes have been provided at the rear of the machine. One roller in each pair has aconcave surface and the other in each pair a-convex surface, the horizontal line that is formed by the plate that is being-rolled being tangential to the concave and convex surfaces of the p'eripheries of the rollers. When the plate has been headed and bent upward at the edges, it will leave the machine in'the shape of a shallow trough with curved sides. The plate may then be placed in a bending-mill, from which it will issue in the form of a nearly-perfect semicircle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the entering end of the machine on the line 1 2;of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the exit end of the machine. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail edge views of the partly-finished plates.

A is a very strong framework, in which is mounted, preferably on fixed axes, an upper,

B, and lower, C, series of rollers,the upper rollfirst, the rollers being free to rotate on their spindles will permit of an allowance for ine- The reason for the division of the' rollers into two sets in each series is twofold:

qualities in the thickness of the plates, and, second, to allow of the passage between the rollers, in the space D, of a chain or other suitable hauling appliance, whereby the plate itself can be hauled or pulled through the machine. The hauling-gear is not shown in the drawings, because such is a well-known device and consists merely of a winch or other machine suitable for hauling and to which a chain or cable is attached, a hook being at its end. The hook is placed over the end of the plate that is to be hauled and the winch started, when the plate will be pulled through the machine.

For small plates it may be found to be advan tageous to push the plate through the machine; but it is preferred that the pulling or hauling appliance be employed.

The plate to be headed is introduced between the end pair of rollers and hauled forward by means of the chain or cable.

The heading operation is effected by means of two series of small rollers E on vertical axes, one series being on each side of the machine. The rollers are placed on either side of the points where the peripheries of the pressure and antifriction rollers B 0 meet the upper and lower surfaces of the plates to be headed, and thus the axes of the headingrollers are in the same vertical plane as the axes of the set of pressure-rollers against which they lie. The rollers E are so placed that the horizontal distance between the peripheries of each pair (one on each side of the machine) shall be a little less than the full width of the plate to be headed. A line drawn through the axes of the rollers in each series will be slightly oblique, and thus the horizontal distance between the first pair of rollers E will be slightly greater than the distance between the second pair, and so on until the last pair, the distance between which will be appreciably less than the horizontal distance between the first pair.

The operation of heading is eifected in the following manner: The plate F is fed into the first pair of rollers at the right-hand end of the machine. By the hauling-machine (not shown in the drawings) the plate will be drawn forward until the two forward edges of the plate will strike the first pair of the headingrollers E. As the plate is pulled forward the heading-rollers E will head, squeeze out, or upset the edges of the plate. This heading or upsetting result will be increased as the plate passes through the second pair of rollers E, and so on as the plate passes through each pair of rollers E until the edges of the plate assume the form shown in Fig. 5. Before the plate F leaves the machine a certain portion of each side of the plate will be gripped by peculiarly mounted and constructed rollers, so that the plate may be made to assume the form shown in Fig. 6. There are two pairs of these rollers G H and G H, each pair being mounted in a strong frame J J in such a manner that the axes of the rollers shall, be oblique to the plane of the plate F. The upper rollers G G have convex peripheries and the lower rollers H II have concave peripheries. The small spaces between each pair of rollers will form arcs of a circle and the surfaces of the plate F will be tangential to these arcs. The headed edges of the plate F as it passes between each of these pairs of oblique rollers will liejust ontside the rollers, and when the whole plate F has passed through the rollers G II G H it will assume the form of a flat trough with curved sides and bulbed edges, as shown in Fig. 6. Immediately after leaving the last pair of rollers B O the headed edges may pass between small rollers L L on horizontal axes in order that any ragged or irregular edges may be smoothed out and to insure that the bulb shall be of uniform thickness.

K is a resistingroller and is intended to prevent the flat portion of the plate from buckling as it leaves the machine.

In order that the heading operation may be regulated, the heading-rollers E are made adjustable by being mounted in blocks a, which are controlled by set-screws c.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what mannerthe same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In machines for heading or upsetting the edges of metal plates, two series of pressure and antifriction rollers which are preferably loose on their axial shafts, each series being divided into two sets with a space between the sets on the same axis, each set in the upper series being vertically above the corresponding set in the lower series, in combination with two series of heading-rollers on Vertical axes, one series at each end of the press ing and antifriction rollers, and so disposed that the horizontal distance between the first pair shall be greater than the horizontal distance between the second pair, and so on to the last pair, two lines drawn through the vertical axes of such rollers converging to a point beyond the exit of the plate from the machine, as and for the several purposes herein set forth.

2. In machines for heading or upset-ting the edges of metal plates, two series of pressure and antifriction rollers and two series of heading-rollers, the axes of the two series of heading-rollers being in the same vertical plane with the axes of the sets in the upper and lower series of pressure-rollers against which they lie, as herein set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE JOHN HOSKINS.

Witnesses:

.MANFIELD N nw'roN, R. W. EWERs. 

